George johnstone



@met faire @einer .fria-..

GEORGE JOHNSTON E, O F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

League 'Fureur No. 80,955, duca August 11, 186s; uuaduauz August 1,1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MAGHINES.

TO AIlL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN: Be it known that I, GEORGE donnerons, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Knitting-Machines; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, .clean and exact description oi' the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in what are known us circular-knitting machines, the said improvements being designed for producing, automatically, a tubular fabric, having any desired pattern, with the same rapidity as a. plain fabric is madein an ordinary circular machine; and my invention consists of a series of bearded needles, so arranged andl operating, in conjunction with a series oi' ngers, that the loops of yarn may be transferred from any of the needles to others, the said ngers being capable of suchadjustm'ent that any of the loops may be retained upon 'or discharged from them at any time desired, while any of the iingers may bc thrown out of action with the needles at anytime, without interfering with the operations of the fingers in action.

-My'invention further consists ci a presser-wheel, so constructed with movable plates, that the beard of any needle may be either depressed or not, as may be desired.

My invention further consists of the combination of the devices above referred to, and. pattern-wheels, or chains, or jacquard-apparatus, so connected to the said devices, that the operations of any of the same may be suspended, resumed, or varied, as vmaybeeweqniredto-produce ani- 5r desired pattern in the' fabric.

'In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will nowproceed to describe its construction and operation', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this spccication,.arid in whichl Fig-ure 1 (Sheet No. I) is a sectionahelovation ofmy improved knittingmachine.

Figure 2, a plan view, partly in section,

Figure 3, (Sheet No: 2,) a plan view of part'of the machine.

Figure 4, a diagram showingvthc operations of part ofthe machine.

Figure 5, a. sectional elevation ofthe frames of thc machine.

Figure 6, (Sheet No. 3,) an enlarged sectional view, representing a needle and a finger for receiving loops from the needle,

Figures 7 and 8, detached views of part of tho machine, drawn 'to an enlarged scale.

Figures 9, 10,`and 11, detached sectional views, drawn to an enlarged scale, of parts ci the machine, showing them in different positions.

Figure 12, a detached side elevation, showing some ofthe needles, covered by the fingers.' l

Figures 13 and 14, views illustrating a device for adjusting the loops upon the needles.

Figure 15, a sectional view, drawn toan enlarged scale, of the presser-wheel, with part of the devices for operating the same; and

Figures 16 and 17, views illustrating modifications of parts of the machine.

Similar' letters refer to similar parts throughoutthe several'views.

The stationary frame of thc machine consistsof three arms, A A* .A2-which are of the form shown in the drawing, and are secured to the base-plate B and from the inner ends of the'arms A Ais suspended an annular plate, C, (figs. 1, 2, and 5,) in the edge of which are recesses a, al, and a, iig. 2.

On a stationary shaft, Bl, projecting from the baseB, midway between the arms A A, turns a revolving frame, which consists of a cylinder, D, carrying` two arms, Df Dz, of the forn'rl shown in the drawing, and an annular plate, D, which is suspended from the inner ends of the varms l)l D'La short distance above the plate C, iig. 5.

To the edge of the cylinder D are secured, in the usual manner, bearded needles, b, inthe shanks of which are recesses, b', iig. 6, and at the lower side of the cylinder is a. vbevel-wheel, which gears into a bevel-pinion. en. an adjacent driving-shaft. i

so-,sss 2 Tovthe upper end ofthe shaft Bl is secured a stationary plate, B2, and to a bracket, C, fig. 5, connected to the plate C, is secured a curved ba'r,0"', which extends partly round the cylinder D, at a short distance from the same.

At the edge o f the plate D3 slide a number of curved blocks or scctions, E, and from the plate D3 pro jects one or more vertical pins, dl, iig. l, on the upper-part of each of which turns a horizonal lever, F, having two arms, e el, figs. 1v and 3, the latter being slotted furthe reception of a pin, ce, on one of the sections, E.

Into recesses in each section E project' the ends of plates Gr G', gs. 7 to 9, which are the same distance apart as the needles b, a pin Aor rod, f, extending across each recess, and passing through aslot, q, in each plate, and from the outer ends of the latter project iingers r, recesses in which receive the heads and beards of the vneedles when the points of the fingers are in the recesses b', as seen in fig. 6, each plate `.vith its finger being hereafter-termed a jaclsz At the front and lower edges of each plate are projections z', z, and v?, and recesses h L; in each pla-te G is a recess, c, and at thc lower edge of cach plate G are a rccess,j, and a projection,j. l

In vertical. boxes II Hl, secured to the bar Cz, slide plates I Il 12 I3, fig. 2, each of which is inclined at the upper end, and has at ono side a lip, which prevents it from descending below the position shown in iig. 4,

To the side of each box H Hl is hii'ng a plate, H2, a rib, m, on which is adapted to recesses ZZ', in the adjacent edges of the sliding'plates,-ig. 4,- and tol each plate H2 is connected an arm attached to a lever, H3, hung to the bar C2,- t'he lowerarm, m', of the lever projecting below the bar C2.

A spring, C, secured `to the bar C2, and connected to the plate H2, tends to maintain the latter in the position shown in fig. 4.

To brackets secured to the boxes H Hl, and to thcfbar C, is connected a curved bar, C5, one end ot' which, adjacent to the bracket C1, is bent inwards and downward, as shown in the drawing, figs.2, 8, and 5.

Y' To brackets secured to the bai` C2', is attached a curved plate or bar, C7, which extends -from a. point above the bracket C1, g. 2, and above the bar C5, to a point above the box H, the end of the plate above the box H being bent as shown in the drawing, hg.' 4, for a purpose described hereafter.

A curved bar, C3, extends from above the end of the bar C5 to a 4point a short distance above the tops of the ,needles b, and opposite the arm A1, figs. 2 and 4; and a short distance above, and almost parallel to this bar, is another but shorter bar, C9. I

To brackets secured'to the plates C and B are secured cam-plates J, J3, J4, and k, fig. 2, which are a. short distance from the inner sides of the needles, and on pins projecting from the plate B2 turn lifting-wheels Jl Isl, and

a knocking-over wheel, k2.

From a bracket secured to thc'b'ar C, opposite thearmA, projects a pin, on which turns a plain presser wheel, J, fig. 2.

Opposite the lifting-wheel c revolves a presser-wheel, L, in radial slots'in which are hung'loosely, plates n, g. 15, leach plate it, when in' af position to'bear against the beard of a. needle, b, being directly abovc'a rod, M, which slides in bearings secured to the stationary frame of the machine.

On avpin secured to the bar C2, adjacent -to the presser-wheel'L, turns an ordinary loop-wheel, N, and in the plate C, and in the bracket Cl, ure openings, :v x, for the passage ofthe thread X.

To standards N1 N2, on the arm Az, are lhung levers O O, Eg, 1, ndt-0 he lever Of ape connected sliding bars P P', at the lower ends of which are friction-rollerspp, a. pin, g', projecting from the lever O into a slot in the lever O. A friction-roller, p2, turnson a pin projecting from the under side of a bracket, V, secured to the arm A. A

In the arm AZ, below the-outer end of the lever O, slides a rod, Q, which is in a position to bc struck, and raised into contact with the arm 0 by'a cam, Q', secured to the arm Dzicf the movable frame, iig; 5.

At the side ofthe arm A2 slides a plate, R, which is connected to the outer end of the lever O, and through an opening, s, in the plate R, and through the arm A2 passes a sliding pin, S, which is maintainedat the limit of its outward motionhy a spring, t. -Near the outer end of the pin S is an enlargement, w, which is adapted to an enlarged portion of the opening s, and on a pin projecting from a bell-crank lever, T, hung to the side of the arm A, turns a jacquard-cylinder U.

The edge of the plate C adjacentto the recess al is inclined, as shown indgs. 2 and 11, and a part of the plate, near ono end of the recess a, is bent upward, so as to form an inclined lip, It, fig. 10, for a purpose described hereafter.

To an arm, W, projecting from the cylinder D, ishung a lever,-W,`fig. 2, which, as the cylinder revolves, is brought beneath the arm in ofthe lever H3.

A jacquard-apparatus, pattern-wheel, or chain, is connected in any suitable manner to the slides in the boxes H H1, so' that any of the said slides may be elevated or: depressed when necessary by the action of the'jacquard, the lever W', during the time that the said slides are being moved, passing in contact with the armfmf of the lever H3, turning the latter so as to draw backtlie plate Hz, and passing from contact with the said arm, after the adjustment of the slides, so that the latter will be locked in their positions Vbythe rib m,\which, as the plate Hz resumes its rst position, is introduced into the -slots Z and Z1.

Ajacquard-apparatus, pattern-wheel, or chain, is connected' tothe rod M, so as to adjust the latter verti' cally, and a reciprocatingrmotion is imparted, in any suitable manner, to the lever T, the cylinder U revolving one-quarter of a revolution at every movement of thelever.

When the cam Q raises the pin Q, and with it the lever Oand slide R, the rollerp is raised, andthe roller p lowered, and if, while the -slidc It is elevated, the pin S is moved inward by the action of the jacquard. apparatus, the enlargement w will -bo introduced into the opening 9,where it is confined by the weight of the vl slide which rests on the saine after the cam Q passes trom' contact with 4the pin Q, the slide-levers and rollers being thn's retained in the positions to which they hsve'been adjusted.

Whenthe.pin Q is again raised, thepin S will be relieved of the weight of the slide R, and will be moved outward by the spring t, unless the card on the cyiinder'U retains it in its position, when the slide-levers and rollers 'will resume their iirst positions.

Inasmuch as the construction and operation of jacquard-apparatus, pattern-wheels, or chains, are well known, ithas not been thought necessary to particularly describe or illustrate tho manner in which they are connected withandfregulate the movements of the various 'parts of the'machine,

The thread passes from the opening ce to the needles, between the latter and lcoper'N, and the fabricY, as it is knitted, is drawn upward through' the openings in the disks C D3. I

Operation.

The di'erentparts being in the positions shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3, a rotary motion in the direction of..its arrow is imparted to the moving frame of the machine, and areciprocating motion `to the lever T, when the operation of the machine will be as follows:

The loops of thread, formed on the needles by tho looper N, are elevated by thelatter beneath the beards, which are pressed against the shanks by thepresscrswheel L, while the old loops on the shanks are raised by the lifting-whcel Kt ab'ove the points oi' the beards, and are knocked oii the ends of the needles and on to the new loops by the knocking-over wheel K.

Astheplate Da and its sections, E, nro carried round in the direction of the arrow, the fingers r', which bear `and slide on the bar C5," will pass off the en'd of .the latter, and the projections t' will bear and slide onthe bar C, figs. 4 andrlO, until the jacks assume a vertical position, iig-4;

When the jacks begin to turn downward, they are opposite the recess ain the plato C, tig. 2. As, however7 the recessh in each plateis brought opposite the edge of the plate G, iig. 1.0, thelip k will enter the said recess', so that after the fingers-pass from the rod G5 the jacks will slide on, ,and be supported vertically by the plate C, on the edgefof which the projections i bear, as shown in iigs. 1 and 10;

As the motion' of the jacks isl continued, they will be forced outwards by the action of the -plate C until the fingers r are lifted from contact with the needles b, as shown in fig. 1, for a purpose described hereafter.

As the loopson the needles are brought against the cam I, they .are depressed'by the latter until they are below the fingers r, the points of which are pressed into the recesses b in the needles bythe action of the wheel J, ligs. 2, 4, and.6.

The lifting-wheel .fl1 now raises the loops until they are on the flngersr, above the tops of the needles.

The lingers are now moved outwards fr orn the' needles, as before described, when thc roller p will be struck by-the arm'e of the lever F, and the latter will be turned sc asto move the adjacent section E in the direction of its arrow, lig. 3, until the fingers hung `to this section are moved to ya position opposite other needles than those in front of which they were first situated, the eutent of the motion imparted to the section and its jacks depending upon` the extent to which the lever is moved. y

`As the needles pass the cams J3 J, the loops will be moved first downwards nearly to the points of the ngers, and then upwards on tothe shanks of the'ngers, above the needles, this motion, in the'prsent instance, having no ete'ct on thecharscter of the work.

As the needles ypass th'e cam K, the loops will be moved downward by this cani on'to those needlesv above which they have been carried by the lateral motion of the lingers, the downward motion being suilicient to carry the loops entirely oil' the fingers, which then strike the inclined portion of the bar .05, when the jacks will be gradually lcarried to a horizontal position, (ig. 3.

As the arm e of thc lever'F strikes the roller p2, the lever will be turned suicientlyto move the section E back to its rst position,'iig. 3.

As theneedles psss opposite the looper N, new loops will be made upon thesame, and the operations above described will be repeated.

` When both-*the slides I Il in the box H have been elevated by the action of the jacquard to the position occupied b y the slide I, iig. 9, the jacks, as they strike the inclined ends of the slides, will `be elevated to such `a-position that the projections z' will p ass above the plate or bar C7, and will bear and slide on the' latter, the jacks being thus reta-ined in an elevated position so that the fingers cannot operate on the loop`s,and arrordinary plain fabric is produced in the usual manner.

Should the slide I alonebo elevated, only the plates G will be raised,- as' thefrecesses in thep'lates G receive the end of the elevated slidewithout the being brought in contact with thesame, fig. 9. In this case, one-half thc jacks will operate in connection with alternate needles, while the remainder are carried round in a horizontal position, and-bave no effect.

By depressing the slide I and elevating the slide Il, the plates G will be raised so as to be supported by the bar C7, while the plates G will pass over, but not in contact with the end of the slide Il, which projects into the openings j, these plates, therefore, being brought to such a. position that their fingers will cover alternate needles.

If one of the slides l2 l'.3 in the box Hl is raised, the jacks which are brought against the ends of' the slides will .be so elevated that their lingers (instead of the projections z', as before describcth) will pass on to the bar CS, and will slide on the latter until the projections z pass over and on tothe ba'r 0, which is so curved that the jacks are pushed back a short distance into the recesses 'in the section.

As the jacks, after being thus moved back by the bar 0, aretylrnml downward, and pass opposite the recess a." in the plate C, the projections z'x will be brought to bear on the inclined edge of the plate C as thec jacks are carried round, so that they occupy a more elevated position than when the projections i rested ilpon the plate C. As the points of thc-lingers of the jacks, which have been adjusted as above described, are now a greater distance fromthe lower' ends of the needles than thev fingers of the jacks which passed on to the bar C8, when they have received the loops, as bcforestated, the cam J3, after the jacks have been moved laterally, will depress the loops from the points of the elevated jacks on to the needles, while th'e loops on the fingers of the remaining jacks will not be lowered 'to a suilicient extent to be thrown from the lingers..

Both the loops'on the fingers and those on the needles will new be raised by the cam J, `when the section and itsjacks will be, again shifted until thefingers are opposite other needles, onto which thc remaining loops are caused to descend, by/the action of the cam K.

As thejacks are'brought opposite the recess a, they `will pass from contact with 'the edge of the plate C, and will descend until the front edges o'f the plates Gr'Gr1 bear upon the bar CQupon which the jacks slide until they are again brought4 above the slidesv I 1l. l

Every section'E which' is to be adjusted should be connected to c. lever similar to the lever F, and several rollers of different diameters, or a conical pulley, fig. 17, may be secured to cach rod, P P1, so that the extent to which the lever or levers F and sectionsA are moved, may be regulated by bringing different rollers or different portions of, the conical pulley, to a-position -to be strucl: by the arm of the lever- F, the adjustment of the lever to which the rollers are hung being effected by the jacquard o n the cylinder U, or in any other manner'.

When the sections are to b e shifted in an opposite direction ,to that pointed out by the arrow, the lever 01 should be so adjusted that the roller p1 may be struck by the lever F; and if it is required to shift the sections more frequently, additional adjusting-rollers, p p1, constructed and operating in'the same manner as those described, may be used. l

By increasing the number of slides I Il, tc., or by operating them more frequently, eachjack, as it is brought opposite the ends of the bars C7 C8 C, may he transferredto either one of the same.

When the rod M is elevated by the action of the jacquard, the plate n above the rod will be raised, and will not bear on the needle, the loop, which is thon elevated, passing beneath instead of over the beard of the needle, as will be readilynnderstood by those familiar-with knitting-machines.

In some instances, needles of different lengths may be used, fig, 16,.theloops, when elevated, instead of being entirely withdrawn from the longer needles, being, in this case, stretched laterally b'y the iingerstc a position over the tops of the lower needles, on to which they are transferred from the fingers, by the action of a suitable cam. .Y v

It will be. seen that by the use ofthe fingers and loop-raisers and depressers, in connection with a circular row of needles, as abovcdescribed, each loop may be transferred laterally in either direction and to any extent from one needle to another; that owing to the peculiar construction of the presser-wheel, any loop may be thrown oil' its needle or retained upon the same, as desired; that by using needles of different lengthsfone loop may be carried round two or more needles; that all these operations may be eil'ected without its being necessary to reduce the speed of the machine; and that by 4the combination of the devices above referred to, and jacquard-apparatus, pattern-chains or wheels, the operations of any of the said devices may be suspended auto# matically, resumed, or varied, as may be required, toproduee any d'esired'pattern in the fabric.

1f fabrics of certa-in patterns only are to b'e produced, jacks, having ngersbf different lengths, may be employed instead4 of adjustable jacks; and the devices for adjusting the jacks, in order that some of the needles may be covered by fingers to a greater extent than others, may be -dispensed with.

A plate, w, iig. 13, having an inclined edge, and extending over tho tops of the needles, may be used for turning, back the loops on to the stems of the needles; fig. 14, should they ca tch on the beards, as shown in iig. 13-

Although vI have described the :aforesaid jacks as operating and moving with needles-secured to a revolving cylinder, stationary jacks may b'e employed in connection with that class of circular machines in which the cylinder and needles are stationary, and the various cams and presser and other wheels are carried past the needles. In this instance, a movement past Jthe jacks is imparted to the bars and other devices for operating those parti of the machine which have been referred to as stationary.

Without conining myself to the particular construction and arrangement of thc devices herein described, Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure-by Letters Patent- 1. In a circular-knitting machine, a series of bearded needles, arranged und operating in conjunction with a series of fingers, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

2. Fingers, substantially such as described, hung to sections admitting of separato and independent movements inthe arc of a circle, substantially as set forth for thepnr'posc specified.

3. Fingers, substantially such as described, projecting'from or forming a part of jacks, to which movev ments may be imparted by the`devices herein described, or anyiequivnlent to the same, that some of the needles may be covered by the fingers to a greater extent than others, for the purpose set forth- 4. The adjustable jacks, in combination with the guide-bars Cs C, the plate C, and the slides 12 I, o1 equivalent devices, whereby the/jacks may be brought under the control of one or otherV of the said bars, the whole being constructed and operating snbstantiallyns and for the pifrpose described.

5. The combination of the jacks, a bar or plate, C7, and thc slides I Il, or their equivalents.

6. Jacks, substantially such as described, in.combi`nation with a jacquard-apparatus, pattern-chain or pattern-wheel by which the jacltsfare controlled through thc medium of the devices herein described, or any equivalent to the same.

, i 7. The sections E, with their jacks, in combination with a jacquard-apparatus, pattern-wheel, or chain operating on the said sections throughfthe medium of tho levers F and adjustable rollers p p p2, or their equivalents. v

8. A presser-wheel, having movable plates, secured to or forming a. part of the same, so that the said plates may be controlled, in the manner and for the purpose described.

9. The `lingers r, operating in combination with needles of d-i'erent lengths, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth. l

.In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speecatio in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE J OH-N STONE.

Witnesses :i

CHARLES E. FOSTER, Crus. B. Paros. 

